I hesitated for a moment, considering what little options I had. Fighting would be stupid, there were more than a few obstacles between me and her and she had a gun. Running would likewise end very poorly for me. Again, gun. None of the purchase options available to me were something that would reliably aid in this situation. Well, actually I did have something that might help...

 

(100 XP, Boon of the Flesh: Grants +10 Fellowship, you will constantly produce enticing pheromones increasing arousal and attraction to you, +5% alignment.)

 

(80 XP, Boon of The Beholders Beauty: Grants +10 Fellowship, become enticing, attractive, beautiful to any who behold you. You also become more attractive in general, healing and preventing the formation of unsightly scars. You also gain a one step increase in cup size. +3% alignment)

 

No, I was not looking at the boons as a means of seducing my way out of this! Honestly! The chances that this amazonian religious nut was in any way interested in slamming clams was slim and you don’t bet on slim when guns are involved. To compound that I currently looked like a boyish hobo, the only thing I had to clean myself with was water so I likely smelled... ugh. 

 

The benefit of these boons was the boost to my fellowship. Something that would, theoretically, help me in talking my way out of this situation. I did have a great deal of trepidation about gaining any ‘alignment’ but I had to be pragmatic about this, five percent or three percent, while I did not have a great idea about what exactly alignment meant for me in specific terms these were small values.

 

Watching as the impatient robed woman tapped the las-pistol against her thigh I grit my teeth and made my choice. 

 

(Purchased:

Boon of The Beholders Beauty:

Fellowship Characteristic 32 + 10 = 42

 

Unnatural Beauty gained, Unnatural attraction gained, Scar regeneration gained, cup size gained.

 

Alignment lost:

Unaligned 100% - 3% = 97%

 

Alignment gained:

Aligned 0% + 3% = 3%

30 XP remaining)

 

(Huh~ Me first cutie pie? Knew you had great taste~ Now, don’t you worry your pretty little head about that ‘unnatural’ stuff kay’? Even the most powerful Psykers won’t be able to tell you had work done babe. I am a professional, but uh, Blanks might or whatever. Do you know what that is? Oh gosh! Look how helpful and honest I am, you won’t get this with anyone else! Gotta go now sweetie, don’t die now, buh bye!)

 

Ignoring the sudden dull throbbing pain that flowed over my body and the rather inspired commentary of him. I crawled out of the bushes as the woman before me gestured to the entrance of the Gazebo. 

 

“Place your hands on top of your head please.” She said smoothly, las-pistol pointed at the ground. I did as I was told as I made my way around the chest high walls of the gazebo, shuffling against the thick green bushes that ringed the structure. I stopped at the shallow stops up onto the platform only for the woman to wave me forward and then hold up a hand when I stood at the other end of the table across from her.

 

She simply looked at me for a moment. Openly looking over my slight and raggedy form. Before she patted the top of the table.

 

“Put your things on the table child, starting with that knife.” Ah, well that pretty much confirmed that not only could she see through bushes with her golden eye but she could see through clothes to some degree as well. I slowly dug into my rags and produced the glorified shiv placing it onto the table. At the Priestesses nod I placed what few possessions I had collected so far.

 

Canteen, empty of course, I had rehydrated after the climb. Bundle of rags with twenty six of the little metal coins I found on the bodies around the altar. And finally my datapad.

 

“Come over here, with the dataslate please.” The lady ordered and I picked up the pad and walked over to her as ordered and held it out for her. She took it without a word and laid it on the table pressing a few buttons before pointing at the screen. “Read this.” She ordered.

 

“The Ponderance of the Day. Know this, humble masses, children of the Emperor, the purpose of your Mothers and Fathers of the faith. We are but simple caretakers of the holy mission. We are to take the judgement of the Emperor upon earth to the stars. We are the ones who carry his mercy with us for our brothers and sisters. We alone are those who witness his signs. Blessed are we caretakers for if we fail in our duty, so the galaxy fails with us.” As I finished the passage the Priestess lent back into her seat to regard me again.

 

“What is your name child?” She said at last. 

 

“Livia Waydri.” I answered with the name that had been forced upon me. The one that came naturally to my mind. 

 

“Livia, that is a pretty name.” The woman smiled kindly to me despite the Las-Pistol she kept in her off hand. “Do you know what my name is?” She asked.

 

“No.” I answered honestly after a few heartbeats, anticipating a probing question but if it was she gave no indication.

 

“My name is Pontifex Claudia Astra. I am a preacher of His good word, so you may call me Mother.” She watched me for a moment before she continued. “I do not recognise you child, how did you come to be sneaking around my garden?” She asked in good cheer that was at odds with the clear interrogation. 

 

“I was just exploring, I did not know it was your garden. I was looking for food.” She let out a hum as I explained and tapped the tablet.

 

“Where did you find this, my child?” 

 

“In an office attached to the warehouse rotunda.” Again I answered honestly, keeping eye contact to express my sincerity. “It was broken when I found it.” I added.

 

“And someone fixed it for you?” She asked slipping the Las-Pistol back into her robes, making the entire situation far less stressful.

 

“No, I fixed it. There were several others that were broken too.” At that my stomach rumbled as a slight smile found her face.

 

“Have you been away from my flock, child? Hiding from the mutants in the cargo hold?” I nodded. “All alone? How terrible, you must have been so frightened, separated thus from your fellow man.” She pulled her seat back somewhat and patted her lap. “Come child, I will not see a humble servant of the Emperor starve.” I raised an eyebrow at the odd behaviour, but then I could hardly make an accurate assessment whether or not this was odd from her perspective.

 

“Are you sure, Mother?” The word felt alien on my tongue for a religious figure I had no real connection to. I was worried that it sounded hollow too but if it was Claudia paid that no mind.

 

“Of course my child, come, sit.” I glanced about before I walked towards the woman and suppressed a shout of surprise when she simply plucked me from the ground with no trouble at all and set me down on her lap like a child.

 

It was humiliating, even if I tried not to let that show. I felt my hair stand on end and shuddered in her grasp as she hunched over me like the giant she was to look me in the eye. Without a word she took the loaf of bread before her and broke off a piece and presented it to me. I felt my mouth water uncontrollably and reached out only for Claudia to pull it away from me as I reached for it.

 

“Hands down child, relax and listen to me very carefully.” Her tone was soft and motherly, she kept her voice low as I felt the vibrations of her powerful voice play against my ear and the back of my neck. “Are there any more of you hiding in the cargo-hold, or the area around it?” 

 

“I don’t know.” I said honestly, pressing my hands against my knees as I inhaled the warm scent of freshly baked bread. “No one I could find except your, uh, flock and the beastmen.”

 

“Mutants, child.” The Pontifex corrected before she pressed her empty hand against my neck and used her thumb to open my mouth. I shifted in place on her lap as she gently placed the bread into my mouth. Her fingers played across my lips before she allowed me to close my mouth and chew on the soft and sweet bread. “They are mutants, lesser than men. You did well to avoid their malicious intent.” She whispered before she broke off another piece of bread, stroking my neck slowly as I swallowed, at last satisfying the pain that had developed on my stomach. 

 

“Thank you.” I said, relaxing in her grasp despite how strange this all was. The prospect of being fed overrides many of my concerns.

 

“Not me.” She laughed sweetly. Another piece of bread pressed into my mouth to savour and swallow. Next she plucked a piece of cheese with what looked like herbs inside of it and held it just close enough for me to taste it upon the air. “You did not approach my flock when you found us? When He led you to us?” She asked. I swallowed the spit that had filled my mouth and shifted in her lap.

 

“I was scared.” I said at last, it was true after all. Without knowing how people would react to me approaching the worshipers was a major risk. I would not have approached Claudia if she had not seen right through that bush and effectively threatened me with a Las-Pistol. 

 

“That is understandable.” The Pontifex sympathised. “These past few months have been trying for the flock. With that I let her open my mouth and place the cheese on my tongue, she looked me in the eyes as I let out an involuntary humm of enjoyment at the sharp and earthy flavour. 

 

“I don’t know why the ship’s armsmen have not regained control of this section of the ship.” I probed, deciding that the interrogation had been rather one-sided so far. It was perhaps a sign I had gotten a little too comfortable with Claudia that I allowed her to punctuate my question with another piece of the sweet bread that practically melted in my mouth.

 

“A dearth of faith I am afraid, my child.” Claudia let out a long suffering sigh as the hand she had used to open my mouth as she pleased was relocated to run though my no doubt dirty hair. Not that she seemed to pay the utter state of me much mind. “I shall trouble you not with the faithless and their manifold failures, know this, that I shall be the dauntless rock you may all rely upon. Carry the strength of his word in your heart, obey my commands and I shall see us through these dark times of hunger and strife.” There was an easy magnetism to her words. As if she did not need to carefully consider what to say or how to say it. That speaking to the faith of people had become second nature to her long ago and she had honed that skill to mastery.

 

“You have a plan to retake the rotunda? I was trying to gather supplies from the cargo containers but after I opened a container the... mutants were patrolling the area.” I asked, opening my mouth as she pressed something that tasted a lot like a creamy buttered potato into my mouth.

 

“How did you open the containers if I might ask?” She brushed some of my hair out of my eyes as she watched me chew and swallow.

 

“I scanned in a lot of documents I found onto the datapad. Some of them contain passcodes for the containers so if you search the container ID against the pad’s dataset you can unlock them like that.” I bragged as her expression turned contemplative. She rewarded my explanation with more of the deliciously sharp cheese.

 

“That is very creative child, you are a very smart young woman aren't you?” She whispered her praise causing me to shuffle in her lap embarrassed about, well, mostly about being called a woman. We continued for a while longer, she would gently probe me with questions as I sat upon her lap like a child being hand fed. Before long I felt bloated and a wave of fatigue came over me.

 

She held me in her arms for a while longer and I felt myself shudder in her grasp when, without warning, she simply stood up, carrying me in her arms as if I weighed nothing at all. She smiled at me as I blushed in her arms. “Rest now child, and know that the Emperor has brought you to me, know that you will awake to his good works for we are all servants under him.” I tried to blink away the sleep that was setting upon my mind like a fog but in her warm, strong embrace I quickly succumbed.